In his new book, atheist Thomas Nagel had some interesting things to say about why scientists are so opposed to Intelligent Design: “Nevertheless, I believe the defenders of intelligent design deserve our gratitude for challenging a scientific world view that owes some of the passion displayed by its adherents precisely to the fact that it is thought to liberate us from religion.” – Thomas Nagel, Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False, 12.

I’ve been following the core science and philosophy of intellectual design for a short while now, and indeed see the neo-Darwinist dogmatism stifling open thought in the scientific community. Unfortunately it is very effective at this, such that the average layperson equates intelligent design with ignorance, religion and creationism. Of course, should anyone actually talk to an intelligent design proponent or honestly examine the science behind it, they might think otherwise.
I always enjoy the veritable eye-rolling, face-palming responses by those at http://www.evolutionnews.org to hollers of creationism.